Ubisoft is one of the biggest developers/publishers in the games industry, boasting a track record of pumping out gargantuan open-worlds at a consistent pace, all to mostly positive praise. Fans seem to be ever-excited to see what the French giant is up to next, with one project in particular being in development for several years now:Â Skull and Bones.
Ubisoft Singapore's Skull and Bones is certainly one of the most anticipated games in Ubisoft's future lineup of games, and some fans hoping to see a new reveal trailer at E3 2021 may be disappointed. Prior to some recent developments, a Skull and Bones reveal at E3 this year would've seemed plausible, but it's unlikely the pirate-themed open-world adventure will see a reveal at this year's digital trade show.
Skull and Bones Has Probably Restarted Development
Skull and Bones is infamously known for its troubled development cycle thus far, starting life as a pirate adventure focused on naval combat first akin to what was introduced in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Announced way back at E3 2017, the game has been met with multiple delays over the years which have been attributed to creative clashes and production-related issues. While the recent Covid-19 pandemic hit game development really hard, fans were pretty optimistic about seeing a new reveal for Skull and Bones this E3.
However, latest rumors suggest that the game may have restarted development with a new direction. Many key employees, including the managing director of Ubisoft Singapore, were fired on the grounds of sexual misconduct prior to restarting development. Ubisoft Berlin recently stepped in as a co-producer for Skull and Bones, and the game's new direction would be similar to Rare's Sea of Thieves.
Ubisoft is no stranger to live-service titles, with key executives stating that the company would focus more on post-launch content and free-to-play experiences. Skull and Bones was rumored to have live-service elements last year, and the latest rumor fans these flames even further. Assuming the rumor to be true, there's little to no chance that Skull and Bones might be present at Ubisoft's showing this E3.
When Will Skull and Bones Finally Release?
Ubisoft is known for generally delivering on its scheduled release dates, but Skull and Bones has proven to be an exception. Last year, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot announced that Skull and Bones wouldn't release before April 2022 at best. Many fans are understandably worried that the game might be stuck in development hell and would never see the light of day. While the sentiment can't be outright agreed upon or denied, the latest delays suggests that any date before 2022 is off the table for now.
It's certainly plausible, as AAA releases including the likes of Skull and Bones can take a lot of time to develop. Even with numerous development studios under Ubisoft's belt, it seems that 2023 might be an optimistic guess if it has indeed "restarted" development. Live service games are a different beast and usually take even longer to develop. This leads to an interesting revelation for Ubisoft's E3 showings this year, as the presumed crown jewel Far Cry 6 has already been revealed before the conference.
The next biggest game in the works was arguably Skull and Bones, which shouldn't be present this year as well. While it would be great to see Beyond Good and Evil 2 make a return, most signs point to Rainbow Six Parasite being more likely to appear than the pirate multiplayer game.
Skull and Bones is currently in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
